TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
Third national report
CONTENTS
A. REPORTING PARTY 2
Information on the preparation of the report 3
B. PRIORITY SETTING, TARGETS AND OBSTACLES 4
Priority Setting 6
Challenges and Obstacles to Implementation 7
2010 Target 10
Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) 36
Ecosystem Approach 49
C. ARTICLES OF THE CONVENTION 50
Article 5 – Cooperation 50
Article 6 - General measures for conservation and sustainable use 52
Biodiversity and Climate Change 54
Article 7 - Identification and monitoring 55
Decisions on Taxonomy 58
Article 8 - In-situ conservation [Excluding paragraphs (a) to (e), (h) and (j)] 61
Programme of Work on Protected Areas (Article 8 (a) to (e)) 65
Article 8(h) - Alien species 68
Article 8(j) - Traditional knowledge and related provisions 72
GURTS 72
Status and Trends 72
Akwé:Kon Guidelines 72
Capacity Building and Participation of Indigenous and Local Communities 73
Support to implementation 74
Article 9 - Ex-situ conservation 75
Article 10 - Sustainable use of components of biological diversity 77
Biodiversity and Tourism 79
Article 11 - Incentive measures 81
Article 12 - Research and training 83
Article 13 - Public education and awareness 85
Article 14 - Impact assessment and minimizing adverse impacts 89
Article 15 - Access to genetic resources 92
Article 16 - Access to and transfer of technology 94
Programme of Work on transfer of technology and technology cooperation 95
Article 17 - Exchange of information 98
Article 18 - Technical and scientific cooperation 99
Article 19 - Handling of biotechnology and distribution of its benefits 101
Article 20 – Financial resources 102
D. THEMATIC AREAS 107
Inland water ecosystems 109
Marine and coastal biological diversity 111
General 111
Implementation of Integrated Marine and Coastal Area Management 112
Marine and Coastal Living Resources 113
Mariculture 114
Alien Species and Genotypes 115
Agricultural biological diversity 116
Annex to decision V/5 - Programme of work on agricultural biodiversity 117
Forest Biological Diversity 120
General 120
Expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity 121
Biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands 127
Mountain Biodiversity 129
E. OPERATIONS OF THE CONVENTION 131
F. COMMENTS ON THE FORMAT 133
A. REPORTING PARTY
N a t i o n a l F o c a l P o i n t
Full name of the institution / Ministry of Public Utilities and the Environment
Name and title of contact officer / Mr. Earl Nesbitt, Permanent Secretary.
Mailing address / 16-18 Sackville St., Port of Spain, Trinidad
Telephone / (868) 625 - 6003
Fax / (868) 625 - 7003
Contact officer for national report (if different FROM ABOVE)
Full name of the institution / Environmental Management Authority
Name and title of contact officer / Robyn Cross
Mailing address / #8 Elizabeth Street, St. Clair, Port of Spain
Telephone / (868) 628 - 8042
Fax / (868) 628 - 9122
S u b m i s s i o n
Signature of officer responsible for submitting national report
Date of submission
Information on the preparation of the report
Box I.
Please provide information on the preparation of this report, including information on stakeholders involved and material used as a basis for the report.This report was prepared through consultation with key stakeholders in biodiversity management. Information was also obtained from documents and reports on programmes and strategies related to biodiversity management.
The stakeholders consulted for the report are as follows:
· Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources (MALMR)- Cynthra Persad, Dr. Vishnu Mooledhar
· Ministry of Public Utilities and the Environment – Dr. Dave Persaud
· Environmental Management Authority- Robyn Cross
· Forestry Division- Anthony Ramnarine, Seepersad Ramnarine
· National Reforestation and Watershed Rehabilitation Programme (NRWRP)- Dr. Pascal Osuji
· University of the West Indies (UWI)- Dr. Mike Oatham, Dr. P. Umaharan, Yasmin Comeau
· Environment Tobago- Pat Turpin
The documents, reports and other materials used for the report are as follows:
· EMA’s Strategic Plan for 2003-2008
· EMA’s Environmentally Sensitive Areas, Species and Biodiversity Workplan for 2004-2007
· National Environmental Policy
· National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
· MALMR Draft Proposal- Developing the Capability and Capacity of the MALMR for the implementation of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) in Trinidad and Tobago.
· Forestry Division Incentive Programme
· NRWRP Strategic Plan 2004-2009
· NRWRP Operational Plan 2004-2007
· Pamphlet on Matura ESA participatory biological baseline survey
· Educational brochures and pamphlets from the EMA
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B. PRIORITY SETTING, TARGETS AND OBSTACLES
Box II.
Please provide an overview of the status and trends of various components of biological diversity in your country based on the information and data available.Trinidad and Tobago are the two main islands of an archipelagic state situated at the southern end of the chain of Caribbean islands known as the Windward Islands. Trinidad lies 32 km from Tobago at its closest point, however, Trinidad lies approximately 13km away from the Venezuelan mainland. Trinidad and Tobago is located between latitudes 100 and 110, 30 minutes north and lying between 600and 620 west longitude. The two islands have a combined land area of 5126 km2. Being an island state Trinidad and Tobago has an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) comprising roughly 75,000 km2, approximately 15 times the land area.
Typically the climate is that of the tropics, with an annual rainfall range of 1200 to 3500 mm and a mean temperature range of 22- 31 0C. The climate is characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons. Marine conditions are heavily influenced by rainfall, nutrient and large freshwater volume output from the Orinoco River. Both islands lie on the South American Continental Shelf and are directly influenced by the Orinoco and the South Equatorial Current. Separation from the continental mainland occurred in recent geological times, about 11000 years for Tobago and 1500 years for Trinidad. The biota and terrestrial habitats of Trinidad reflect the ecology of equatorial South America unlike the other Windward islands which have ecosystems dominated by island endemic species.
The range of terrestrial ecosystems include evergreen seasonal, semi-evergreen seasonal, deciduous seasonal, littoral woodlands, lower montane rainforests, seasonal montane forests, montane rainforests, elfin woodlands, swamp forests (including mangrove woodlands), palm swamps, marshes and savannahs These support rich species diversity. Of 2160 species of flowering plants, 110 are endemic, including many palms. There are approximately 420 species of birds, 100 mammals, 55 snakes, 25 amphibians and 85 reptiles.
Marine systems include the water masses; mud bottoms; coral reefs and communities; sandy bottoms; rocky shores and mud flats. These support a range of macro and microbiota in the benthos and water column. An estimated 36 species of reef building corals are found mainly in the reefs of Tobago.
The biodiversity of T&T is special because of our comparative size, the number of species relative to our size, and the variety of ecosystems within our small landmass. In Trinidad there are a number of features associated with the various forests throughout the island. Mangroves and wetlands are a habitat for waterfowl species like the Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber). A few communities on the northern and eastern coasts of Trinidad have the extremely unique feature of being nesting sites for marine turtles, particularly the leather back species. In the insular Caribbean, Trinidad is the nesting area most frequented by the species.
The principal threats to biodiversity in T&T are as follows:
· activities related to population growth
· mismanaged planned development
· unplanned development
· squatting
· deforestation
· forest fires
· domestic and industrial pollution
· over harvesting of commercially important species, illegal hunting
· habitat fragmentation
Trinidad and Tobago signed the CBD in 1992 and ratified it in August 1996. Further to this, in accordance with Article 6 of the Convention, the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) was developed. The primary objective of the NBSAP was “to assist the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GoRTT) in formulating a plan that would identify priority actions for the conservation and wise use of the country’s biodiversity, within the context of its socioeconomic development”. The NBSAP was completed in 2001. The NBSAP report stated that ‘the priority issues identified for T&T’s biodiversity, did not slavishly follow the articles of the Convention, but suggested the direction that the country should proceed to manage these resources at this particular point in its development”. This was indeed found to be the case when preparing the Third National Report. While there are ongoing programmes and research related to biodiversity management and conservation, they do not necessarily fall within the guidelines and targets set out in the Convention. Many of the priority actions identified in the NBSAP continue to remain relevant today as they relate to education and awareness, policy, legislation and enforcement, research and capacity.
Some of the obstacles to biodiversity management and implementation of the Convention were identified as follows:
· Education and awareness
· Capacity constraints
· Lack of information and research
· Sharing of information between agencies
· Legal constraints- associated with passing of laws and enforcement
· Ad hoc policy environment
· Lack of organization
· Lack of funding
· Attitudes to biodiversity management
· Inadequate personnel to conduct research
Priority Setting
1. Please indicate, by marking an "X" in the appropriate column below, the level of priority your country accords to the implementation of various articles, provisions and relevant programmes of the work of the Convention.Article/Provision/Programme of Work / Level of Priority
High / Medium / Low
a) Article 5 – Cooperation / X
b) Article 6 - General measures for conservation and sustainable use / X
c) Article 7 - Identification and monitoring / X
d) Article 8 – In-situ conservation / X
e) Article 8(h) - Alien species / X
f) Article 8(j) - Traditional knowledge and related provisions / X
g) Article 9 – Ex-situ conservation / X
h) Article 10 – Sustainable use of components of biological diversity / X
i) Article 11 - Incentive measures / X
j) Article 12 - Research and training / X
k) Article 13 - Public education and awareness / X
l) Article 14 - Impact assessment and minimizing adverse impacts / X
m) Article 15 - Access to genetic resources / X
n) Article 16 - Access to and transfer of technology / X
o) Article 17 - Exchange of information / X
p) Article 18 – Scientific and technical cooperation / X
q) Article 19 - Handling of biotechnology and distribution of its benefits / X
r) Article 20 - Financial resources / X
s) Article 21 - Financial mechanism / X
t) Agricultural biodiversity / X
u) Forest biodiversity / X
v) Inland water biodiversity / X
w) Marine and coastal biodiversity / X
x) Dryland and subhumid land biodiversity / NA
y) Mountain biodiversity / X
Challenges and Obstacles to Implementation
2. Please use the scale indicated below to reflect the level of challenges faced by your country in implementing the provisions of the Articles of the Convention (5, 6,7, 8, 8h, 8j, 9, 10, 11,12, 13, 14, 15,16, 17, 18, 19 and 20)3 = High Challenge / 1 = Low Challenge
2 = Medium Challenge / 0 = Challenge has been successfully overcome
N/A = Not applicable
Challenges / Articles
5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 8h / 8j / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20
a) Lack of political will and support / 2 / 1 / 3 / 3 / 1 / 3 / 2 / 3 / 3 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 3
b) Limited public participation and stakeholder involvement / 3 / 1 / 2 / 2 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 3 / 3 / 1 / 0 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 3 / 1 / 2
c) Lack of mainstreaming and integration of biodiversity issues into other sectors / 3 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 1 / 2 / 2 / 2 / 2 / 3 / 3
d) Lack of precautionary and proactive measures / 3 / 1 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 1 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 3 / 3
e) Inadequate capacity to act, caused by institutional weakness / 2 / 1 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 2 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 3 / 3
f) Lack of transfer of technology and expertise / 1 / 1 / 2 / 2 / 2 / 2 / 2 / 1 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 2 / 2 / 2
g) Loss of traditional knowledge / 3 / 2 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 1 / 3 / 1 / 3 / 1 / 1 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1